Tour Dates: Year-round worldwide
Design Concept: “Our show is all about the music. We don’t carry any of our own lighting gear so I have designed a lighting plot that is flexible in many venues. We use moving lights whenever available however our lighting plot is conventionals only. I lean towards an asymmetrical look in the background, I find that more interesting. Our show is a theatrical piece. I am trying to create a mood.”
BIO
Home Base: Egg Harbor Township, NJ near Atlantic City.
Years in the Industry: 36
Years with Tony Bennett: Three
Career Spark: “I started as a stagehand. I was asked to help on a lighting crew and fell in love with it. I’m self taught.”
First Industry Gig: Bus and truck tour of Oh Calcutta!
First LD Gig: Bus and truck show of Jesus Christ Superstar in Canada and the U.S.
Industry Heroes: “I started with Broadway designers Jules Fisher and Tharon Musser. I still lean toward Broadway design.”
Design Influences: “I like all the elements of Broadway shows. When you have to use lighting to suggest a time of day or a season — like the middle of winter at 5 p.m. is different from a summer afternoon — it opens up a whole new area of design. Plus you have all the challenges of costumes and scenery to consider. Pastel colors in theatre are more pleasing to me and give you a broader stroke and more choices than a saturated color palette in moving lights. That’s why I’m not a moving lights guy.”
Tony Bennett Tour Highlights: “Every show is a highlight. Tony is the most wonderful person to work for, and this is a dream job. We recently flew in Tony’s private jet to Sardinia Italy and we all brought our wives – nice! These are the moments that help make up for all the time on the road away from our families.
“With Tony, I have found a spot that is unbelievable. We are all truly a family. It doesn’t exist anywhere else and no other tour is like this. I love these guys. It’s a spot I’ll retire from.”
Venue Highlights: “Playing shows at venues with such history such as the Royal Albert Hall in London, and the Met and Radio City Music Hall in New York is fascinating. I’m also a stage manager and the mechanics and old backstage equipment interests me.”
Best Design Advice: “Feel the mood, feel your surroundings. Be aware of your audience’s reactions. House lights are part of the design. You don’t have to design with them but you have to know how and when to use them.”
